Thick hardwood strips on the backside of the shelf E and 1-18 in. Build the shelves Glue and nail 12-in. Right Up My Alley How We Built Our Library Bookshelves Library Bookshelves Bookshelves Built In Bookshelves Diy Simple building hack simplifies gara. Building built in shelves . Part of the fun aspect of my job is that I get to work with other talented DIYers and learn their tricks of the trade so I can add them to my bag of tricks as well. Make a shopping list for your base frame. Before you cut the big hole cut a small inspection hole. It is best to get these cut professionally as the makeup of the boards can blunt cutting tools. You can build it and then slide it into place and mount it. Next Im ripping the wood down in 8 inches width which will be the depth of the upper shelves. This is the 2nd post in a 3 part series. Most shelves are built a minimum of 11 to 12 inches deep but this is your chance to customize. We left off in this post with finishing up th...